The Austrian knight Oswald von Wolkenstein (c. 1377-1445) was a colourful late-medieval character - warrior, diplomat, traveller and troublemaker. For many years he was in the Roman King’s, later Emperor Sigismund’s service. However, it is as an intellectual leader he is best remembered; he was an eminent poet, composer and singer.
This highly praised entertainer at European courts was a proud man not far from showy. As he was very much interested in history he arranged that not only what he had experienced during his adventurous travels and appointments with those days’ celebrities should be remembered but that he was also to live in poems and compositions.
He had lost an eye from a jousting injury in his youth. His looks are best preserved in an almost drastically indiscreet portrait on parchment included in the finest manuscript still extant, the one he drew up on 30 August 1432 (Universitätsbibliothek, Innsbruck). The portrait shows him parading with his excellent orders carefully arranged. Even if it is painted by a mediocre artist there is a strangely strong charisma which has confused experts, who have had to leave the question unanswered as to the possible author of the painting.
The characterization of the face reminds you of some of the portraits on the Ghent altarpiece. Wolkenstein tells us in a songtext that as a matter of fact he knew Jan van Eyck and his art very well. In that text he expresses his admiration for a picture of the Virgin, which he has been given as a present. This picture is, however, probably not the only painting by Jan van Eyck that Wolkenstein once possessed. Most likely the artist has also given him on some occasion a small oil portrait to be used as an identification document on his travels, a portrait similar to the still in Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna preserved one, that probably shows Cardinal Albergati (See the article Jan van Eyck’s Innovation of Passport Portraits in Oil). For it ought to be the charisma of such a master portrait we see in the picture that Wolkenstein had copied on parchment to represent him in his valuable manuscript collection.
The complimentary poem to Jan van Eyck below is taken from a selection of poetry edited by J Schatz in l904. Unfortunately there are no comments on in what connection it was written. The fact that Wolkenstein had it printed means of course that it belonged to the current repertoire, which strongly confirms that the artist was very well-known and admired in high society in Europe even in his lifetime.
In different manuscripts the words and the interpretations of them can vary a little. In the version of the song that
is included in the selection B Weber had printed in 1850 it says e g van instead of Jan,
which made it impossible for the readers to understand the meaning of the lines about the painter who was so
admirable that none, in Wolkenstein’s opinion, could follow in his footsteps.
| Es leucht durch graw
die vein lasur durchsichtiklich gesprenget. Plick durch die praw rain creatur mit aller zier gemenget. Preislicher Jan dem niemand kan nach meim verstan plasnieren neur ain füesslin. An tadels mail ist er so gail wurd mir zu teil von ir ain freuntlich grüesslin. So wär mein swär auff ringer wag volkomenlich geschaiden von der man er lobsingen mag ob allen schönen maiden. Der tag scheint gogel- eichen hel des klingen alle auen darin mang vogel- reich sein kel zu dienst der rainen frauen schärfflichen pricht süesslichen ticht und tröstlich flicht mit strangen heller stimme. All plüemlin spranz des maien kranz der sunnen glanz des firmaments hoch klimme dient schon der kron die uns gepar ain frucht keuschlich zu freuden. Wo wart kain zart junkfrau so klar ie pillicher zu geuden? Das wasser, feur, erd und wint schatz, kraft der edlen staine all abenteur die man vint gleicht nicht der maget raine die mich erlöst täglichen tröst si ist die höst in meines herzen kloster. Ir leib zo zart ist unverschart ach rainer gart durch wurz frölicher oster. Ste für die tür grausleicher not wenn sich mein haubt wird senken gen deinem weinen mündlin rot so tue mich lieb bedenken! |
Oswald von Wolkenstein travelled a lot during all his life. He seems to have visited most of the central European countries. One of his longer travels took him as far as to Palestine and maybe Egypt. He was present at the Council of Constance 1414-18 and at the Council of Basel that opened in 1431. Also Jan van Eyck was a great traveller, so there may have been more than one occasion for them to meet. Fore sure it is known that Wolkenstein was in north-western Europe in the middle of the 1420s, when he visited among else Cologne and Aachen. Another possibility may have been in the summer of 1432, if Wolkenstein really was a member of a group headed by Wilhelm of Bavaria-Munich, the Protector of the Council of Basel, that travelled to the same area for the mentioned purpose of discussions with important rulers there. Duke Wilhelm’s real purpose seems, however, to have been negotiations with Duke Adolph of Cleves for a marriage to his daughter Margaret, as I suggest in the article Duchesses of Cleves and Books of Hours.
Copyright © 2001-2007 Knut Andersson. All rights reserved.
Part of At the Times of Jan van Eyck and the 'Housebook Master' Albrecht Dürer the Elder
, a book in progress (www.artresearch.se).